Scientists
say there are over 270,000 species of flowers that have been
documented and are living in the 21st Century. But
scientists have yet to answer basic questions about these marvels
of beauty… What led to their amazing diversity? Are there
flowers that have not changed much during the evolution of this
planet?

The first plant
fossils found were woody magnolia-like plants dating back 93
million years. Paleobotanists have more recently uncovered tiny
herb-like flower fossils dating back 120 million years. Flowering
plants, called angiosperms by scientists, were believed to be
already diverse and found in most locations by the middle of the
Cretaceous period… 146 million years ago. A myriad of images of
preserved flowers and flower parts [in very fine detail] have been
found in fossils located in Sweden, Portugal, England, and along
the Eastern and Gulf coasts of the United States.